A/N: So by now I'm sure you've come to expect a sweet little note talking about how much I love your reviews. I do, but here's a shoutout to all you shy folk who simply put this story on Alert! Love you guys too! :D
I'm glad I was able to surprise some of you. Don't think they're over yet ;)
DISCLAIMER: Kensi, Deeks, Callen, Sam, Hetty, Eric, and Nell are sadly not my creation. As if I'm that original!
"Lucy . . ." Kensi breathes. "Should have seen it coming." Deeks gives her a grim nod before placing the gun in a bag to send into evidence.
"Ballistics will see if this is our weapon," he says and Kensi nods, half-hoping that the test would prove the gun they just found does not in fact belong to the woman Kensi has started to believe is the only sane one at this retreat.
"Find anything else?" she asks. "Worth taking," she adds at Deeks' mischievous grin. He shakes his head and Kensi returns to the window.
"You know Kens, this searching thing is fun. I think we can really-" Kensi's eyes return to the window and she stifles a gasp. Lucy and David are on the porch-steps, just about to open the door. Deeks spots their silhouettes through the shades just as she spots them.
"Deeks shut up!" she whisper-hisses. Deeks' glance travels to the door then back to her and she nods. They don't have time to escape through the back door. Deeks points at a small closet and Kensi nods. They scramble away from their spots and Kensi scoots into the closet as Deeks does the same, holding their evidence.
She immediately knows that this was a bad idea. Their only choice, perhaps, but a bad idea all the same. Deeks' body is pressed flush against hers, it's completely dark save for the small filter of light coming from the door frame, and worst of all, it's hot and stuffy. She's glad she can't see the look in Deeks' eyes or the smirk set on his face. He moves slightly, setting the camera and gun on the ground.
They're too close for comfort. She cranes her neck to hear what Lucy and David are discussing. Deeks' breath tickles her throat.
Oh yeah, this was such a bad a idea.
"I'm not saying to just cut him off, Lu-" David's voice rings from where the door is. Kensi hears something that sounds an awful lot like a purse slamming to the ground.
"Really, David? Because that sounds exactly like what you're saying." Kensi glances over at Deeks and somewhat sees him looking back at her through the darkness.
She's surprised at the angry tones in their voices. Of all the couples at the retreat, Lucy and David seemed to be getting on the best. She had never seen them argue or walk out of a therapy session looking upset. Odd, really. She wonders what has changed. And she wonders why such a perfect marriage needed to come here.
Has murder taken its toll on the seemingly happy marriage? Is that why they came here?
Deeks shifts slightly and Kensi has to bite her tongue to keep from whimpering. Their bodies are far too close for much movement. She hopes he can't hear her thundering heartbeat.
His hand moves from its perch on the doorknob to rest on her knee.
"Deeks-" she hisses, "Hands off!" He smirks and his hand slowly trails up on her leg until it settles on her upper thigh. She has to take a deep breath to steady herself. There isn't much she can do in this cramped space to slap his hand away without making a lot of noise.
"I bet you're blushing," he whispers silkily and Kensi has to bite her tongue again to keep from making a squeaking noise as his hand inches upwards on her thigh.
She doesn't respond, not wanting to give him to satisfaction of continuing his little game. Not when they're stuck in a suspect's closet. Not when all she has to do to kiss him again is lean forward just slightly-
Whoa. Whoa.
She can smell him, too, dammit. In fact, he's all she smells at the moment, which sounds creepy. His scent overpowers the smell of clothing and shoes. Even though it's been days since he's been surfing, she can still smell the familiar tinge of seawater in his soft hair. She has to stop thinking like this.
"He's dangerous, Lu! He will get you killed one of these days!" David's voice has risen considerably and Deeks' hand on her thigh clenches slightly. She flicks at it, but it stays where it is.
"He's my father!" Lucy screams.
Oh. That's what they're fighting about. Kensi turns her head to look at Deeks, who nods. This argument is not the first of its kind. Looks like Joe Maggio isn't just a problem for the police.
"And what about your husband?" David questions angrily. "What about our kids, if you even live to have them?" He heaves a loud sigh. "Lucy, I married you despite your past and everything, but you have to leave it behind completely if we are going to work!"
Lucy doesn't respond for a long time. When she finally does, her voice is cold and simmering with reigned in anger. "For years, my dad has been all I have. He's given me all the love in the world, he let me marry you. And you have the nerve to try and tell me to ignore him for the rest of his life?"
"I want you to be safe!"
"I can take care of myself, David!" Kensi hears her footsteps approaching David. "I left the life, the crime. But there is no way in hell that I am leaving my family. I was raised better than that."
"Oh yes, you were certainly raised by angels." He pauses. "I'll bet that Carmen and Christian are just his spies!"
What?
"What?" Lucy snorts. "Are you really that paranoid?"
"Something just seems . . . off about them." Kensi looks over at Deeks in panic. Have they been made? "They always appear at the right moment, and they show up right after Neilson is killed. Like I said, something's off!"
"What, the fact that they're completely in love, or the fact that Carmen is the only other sane woman in this place?" Lucy says. "You can't fake the way that they look at each other, David."
Kensi can't help it, she glances over at Deeks and seems him looking back at her. His gaze is probing, gentle, but not gentle at the same time. He then grins at her.
"She has a point- you suck at lying, Kens," he whispers.
"What do you mean?" she hisses back.
"You can't fake the way you look-" He's silenced by her pinching him in the side. Hard.
"Fine, fine, you have a point," David relents. "But I wouldn't put it beneath your father to send spies. Figures he would still put you in danger after all you-"
Kensi knows before she hears the sickening crack that Lucy will break his nose. You don't insult a woman's father without dealing with the consequences. She can feel Deeks' wince and for once doesn't really blame him. The door slams and Kensi hears David go into the bathroom, to clean up, without a doubt. She doesn't need to tell Deeks that this is their chance.
He tosses her the gun bag and she catches it blindly as he opens the door. They both dash out of the closet and the first thing Kensi does is take a deep breath of fresh air. Not the smell of Deeks. Clear her mind.
The next thing she does is follow Deeks as quickly and quietly as possible. They practically sprint out of the back door and Kensi shuts it as quietly as possible.
"We clear?" she whispers to Deeks, who is peeking at the corner or the cabin.
"Clear," he confirms, and she follows him to the side of the house. He peers over the corner, at the porch, and nods at her. They walk swiftly to the footpath and Kensi breathes out a sigh of relief. They're good.
"Hey Kens?"
"Yeah?"
"You might want to hide that gun in your jacket." He grins. "Looks a little weird."
As soon as they re-enter the cabin, Kensi pushes Deeks against the wall, her face dangerously close to his.
"What the hell was that?" she hisses. She can see by the glint in his eyes that he knows exactly what she's referring to, but he plays innocent.
"What do you mean?" he asks, expecting her to reply with words. Instead, Kensi gets a cruel idea and decides to go with it.
She shows him.
Her hand travels down from his shoulder where she was clutching him and pushing him against the wall. When she brings it to rest on his knee, his eyes widen, knowing what game she's playing.
"Know what I'm talking about now?" she whispers coyly. He shakes his head. Oh, he wants her to continue? Her hand slyly slides up until it stills on his thigh, about where his hand had found a perch in the closet.
"I've . . . got nothing," he stammers out, and Kensi rolls her eyes. She knows she's crossing her own boundaries but right now, she's having way too much fun to stop. Her hand moves up a few inches and presses down on his thigh.
She moves to whisper at his ear. "Positive?"
"N-not really," he admits, his arms moving to grip her waist. That's when she knows that she has to stop. This game is over.
She steps back and his hands leave her waist.
"Sam and Callen will be here sometime today to pick up the gun," she says, turning the subject away from their little flirt fest. "Callen says to say nothing to Lucy until we know that this is the murder weapon."
"Did you text him?" Deeks asks.
"While we were walking, yes." He nods and then settles down on their bed.
"So what do you think?" he asks.
"About the way you felt me up in the closet or about Lucy?" Kensi asks. Deeks grins at her, turning on the lamp near their bed as she switches off the lights.
"I don't know, which would you rather talk about, honey badger?" he asks. Kensi rolls her eyes. "What, you want another nickname?"
"I'd like you to call me Kensi," she says, joining him on the bed.
"Oh, so you like the sound of me saying your name?" He grins coyly. "Oh, Kensi . . ."
"Deeks-"
"Kensi!" he moans, looking as if he's about to choke with laughter.
"Deeks!" she squeaks, grabbing her pillow off the bed and tossing it at his face. He catches it and hugs it, swaying back and forth.
"Kensi, Kensi, Kensi!" She finally gets onto the bed and shoves him off of it, effectively shutting him up. When his head pops up over the side of the bed, Kensi is reclining on the right side, on his pillow.
"You called?" she says sweetly, smirking. He's speechless.
Oh yeah, Kensi thinks, that's what you get for feeling her up.
"I'll start off by saying that I'm very proud of your performance in the three-legged race yesterday," the therapist says with a smile. "Your progress is impressive, but I still have the feeling that you two aren't doing much work outside of this building."
Kensi and Deeks remain silent, staring at the ground. Guilty as charged.
"Luckily, I have found an exercise that brings the outside in." This gets Kensi's full attention.
"I'm sorry, what?"
"Today," the therapist says, "We will be dealing with your outside issues. Not inner turmoil, normal problems you face every day." Deeks looks over at her and this time she returns his gaze.
"Okay," he says, "Bring it on." Kensi waits for him to add the part about donkey kong but he doesn't. He just keeps watching her. Shoot, this means he's taking this seriously. Which means she probably should too. Might be their last chance.
"In many relationships communication is a problem because when couples DO talk, the other is only half-listening, not listening fully and comprehending."
Kensi looks over and gives Deeks a pointed look and is surprised when she sees her expression mirrored on his face. She does not tune him out- he's the one who never listens! She crosses her arms at him and narrows her eyes.
"I thought we already dealt with this trust-communication thing," Kensi says.
"Because your idea of communication is mentioning it and passing then never discussing it again," Deeks mutters with his eyebrows furrowed.
"I resent that," Kensi hisses.
"Because I'm right, and you hate it when I'm right," he retorts.
"Okay now both of you stand up," the therapist instructs, cutting in before they can get into it again. Kensi and Deeks both do so, still watching each other with wary expressions. "Face each other." They follow her instructions, staring each other down. Deeks makes faces at her, but she doesn't laugh.
She really wants to though.
"Now, one of you will make a statement about something in your relationship- whether it's an experience, a memory, a fight- anything. The other will not say a word until it's their turn, and then they will repeat the statement back at them, re-interpreted. Understand?"
"Not really," Deeks says honestly. Kensi rolls her eyes.
"We'll try it anyways," she says.
"Well go ahead and start then, Miss Garcia." Kensi thinks for a moment.
"I get annoyed when you don't take what I say seriously," she says. The therapist motions to Deeks, who for once doesn't look Kensi in the eye.
"You're saying you get irritated when I'm not as intensely serious as you because you don't want to find what I say funny, but you do." Kensi's eyes narrow into slits.
"Okay," the therapist says, "Let's try seeing things from the other's perspective-"
"I get angry when you refuse to face what we have," Deeks says. "Even though we're engaged," he adds for the sake of their cover.
"You get frustrated when I do what I have to do for the sake of our partnership," Kensi retorts. The therapist nods slowly.
"Try to not defend yourselves, face what you do to each other or else you won't make progress with this exercise," she says. Kensi and Deeks both nod.
"I was angry when you almost got fired and you didn't have anything to say to me," Kensi whispers. She doesn't have to go farther into detail- Deeks knows what she's referring to. Lying to her about shooting the skinhead. Using her emotions and feelings for a cover.
Kind of like what they're doing now.
"You were angry when I tried protecting you," he says, "-even though you don't need protecting." Kensi stares at him, lips parted slightly. Get out of my head, Deeks. God.
The therapist nods. So this is what she wants?
"I was upset when you didn't want to talk about our first kiss," Deeks says carefully. Kensi opens her mouth, but no words come out. She'll admit it, she did deflect the conversation on purpose. But it was for their own good.
"You were upset when I did the right thing," she begins, and sees his expression fall, "-for our partnership, but not for our relationship." His eyes burn into hers and for once she doesn't look away because honestly, he deserves better than that.
"I want you two to hold hands now," the therapist says, "Keep going." Deeks holds out his hands and Kensi's mind flashes back to over a year ago, when he had done the same thing under oh so completely different circumstances. And just like the last time, she takes his hand.
"I was upset when you said we were, um, partners with privileges," Kensi admits, "Because I felt like you were treating our thing as a joke, and that's all you thought of it. Of me." Deeks grips her hands tightly, stroking them with his thumb.
"You were upset when I tried to make you laugh," he murmurs, "Because all I need to be happy is to see you smile."
Does he mean that? Kensi looks into his eyes, Deeks' eyes, and only sees truthful, open . . .
Love.
Oh dear God.
Sam and Callen are waiting for them inside their cabin when they return from dinner. Deeks cracks a joke about how it's a good thing they weren't there the last time they were in the cabin and Kensi kicks him in the shin. She then proceeds to fill Sam and Callen in on the things they've noticed since their last check-in and finally- the murder weapon.
Sam examines the gun through the plastic bag. "Matches our weapon," he observes. "We'll see if forensics can find any traces of blood on it before they run ballistics."
"How's your cover holding up?" Callen asks. Kensi and Deeks exchange an uncomfortable glance, which he notices. "What happened?" She hesitates, but the probing looks of the two men make her cave.
"We almost got caught while searching the Wilsons' cabin," Kensi admits. "So we hid in their closet, and-"
"Wait a second," Callen interrupts. "Was this a small closet?" Sam chuckles and Deeks starts grinning.
"I'm sorry, what?" Kensi deadpans.
"It was a small closet," Deeks confirms, "A very small, stuffy closet." He winks.
"I don't see how that matters," Kensi interjects, sending a searing look at Deeks. "As I was saying, we were in the closet-"
"Nothing happened in this closet, right?" Callen asks. Seriously?
"No, Callen, of course not!" Kensi huffs. "Except-"
"Oh, there's an except?" Sam asks with a smirk.
"Don't you usually do this to Deeks?" she asks, exasperated.
"In their defense," Deeks says, "You are leaving yourself wide open for it tonight." Sam and Callen both laugh and Kensi rolls her eyes.
"As I was saying," she continues, giving all three men a warning glance, "David Wilson remarked that he thinks something's off about us."
"Did Lucy believe him?" Callen asks.
"No," Kensi answers, "She's, uh . . ."
"She's convinced we're hopelessly in love," Deeks finishes for her, winking. "Kensi plays her part well, I guess."
"Although it's pretty hard to with your wandering hands," Kensi says, "Makes me want to slap you, not grin like a lovesick idiot."
"Slap me?" Deeks asks, grinning. Sam and Callen exchange an amused glance.
"Funny, Deeks," Kensi says sarcastically. She turns back to Sam and Callen, who aren't making this any easier for her.
"In all seriousness," Callen says, "Be careful." Kensi and Deeks both nod. Sam and Callen both wish them luck and take their leave, leaving Kensi and Deeks alone once again.
Kensi walks over and sits down on their bed (she's given up denying it- it's definitely their bed), reaching over and grabbing her pillow back from Deeks' side of the bed.
"I think we should talk to Lucy tomorrow," she says. "I'll text Callen and inform him, but this retreat will be over soon, and if Lucy isn't our killer, then we need the time-"
"-to find the actual killer," Deeks finishes for her. She nods. "Do you want her to not be the killer?" Kensi pauses.
"I'm not sure. After finding the gun and with her connections, it could absolutely be her. But there's also Bianca and Sheila . . . how do so many women he's connected to end up at the same retreat?"
"Bianca followed him," Deeks reminds her.
"Yes," she relents, "But Sheila?"
"Coincidence?" he offers, "I mean, Amos does work here."
"I suppose," she says, shrugging.
She lets the conversation die, wanting to bring up another topic but not knowing exactly how to. It's something that has been bugging her since therapy, since their first session, in all honesty.
"So, um, I've been thinking-" she begins, biting her lip, almost not continuing. She's grateful when Deeks cuts in.
"That's dangerous," Deeks quips. "Sorry, Kens. Go on." Kensi can't help smiling.
"I think . . . we should start doing our homework."
She can tell by the look on his face he was not expecting that. She knows he usually puts in more work in their relationship and her in their partnership, but now, especially after today's therapy session, she wants to try and work on their thing. Outside of therapy. Not because she has to, but because she wants to.
"Really?" is all he manages to get out, and Kensi smiles and nods.
"I think that if our . . . thing, or whatever it is will work out, we'll have to put some more effort into it." She takes a steadying breath and glances back up at him.
"You think I should take that Urban Warfare class then?" he quips, breaking some of the tension that had risen between them. Kensi laughs, remembering. He joins her on the bed and leans back against the headboard, watching her.
"Oh, and Deeks?"
"Yeah?" Kensi's smile reaches her eyes now.
"Thanks for not making this difficult for me." Deeks smiles and reaches over, taking her hand in his.
"You want difficult? I can do difficult." With that he pulls her into his lap and begins, she can't believe it, he begins to tickle her. Who does that anymore?
"Deeks!" she gasps breathlessly between laughs she can't keep in, "Deeks, I said not making this difficult!"
"Which," he says as his tickling fingers move to her waist, "Is exactly why I have to do it." Kensi makes a squeaking noise that she will forever deny as his fingers move under her arms and then back to her waist. She attempts, half-heartedly she must admit, she fight him off but he knows all her moves.
Some how he ends up on top of her, hovering over her like a predator over prey. Suddenly, that tension from earlier, the same tension that erupted from their maybe-cover kiss, the same tension that simmers under the surface in all of their flirtatious banters, is back and hanging very tangently between them.
"Where should I tickle you next?" Deeks murmurs roughly, and Kensi suppresses a squeak that has nothing to do with his wandering fingers.
"Deeks-"
"Oh no, Kens, you are so not ruining my fun," he whispers, his right hand moving along her waist. Kensi tries and fails to hold down a giggle.
"Deeks, this is so unprofes-" she tries but he doesn't let her continue.
"You want to do homework, Kens?" he asks. She sighs, exasperated.
"Yes, but-"
"Well consider this extra credit!" Deeks says with a smirk, leaning down closer to her, his body centimeters from being pressed against hers.
In their bed.
Let it go, Kensi.
"What? You gonna kiss me, Deeks?" she murmurs, her hands tangling in her hair.
She should really stop this.
"I don't know Kens, would you kill me?" he throws back, still looming over her. She smiles coyly, tugging his hair slightly.
"Maybe." His eyes widen. Ocean blue. What a coincidence. She could stare into them for a long, long time . . . oh my God why is he leaning in. In a panicky move, she removes her hands from his hair and shoves his shoulders, uprooting him before she shoves him back against the bed. She then shifts, straddling him.
"I said maybe, hotshot," she says with a teasing grin. "You still had a fifty percent chance of getting your ass kicked." Deeks returns her grin.
"I also had half a shot of being kissed, not kicked."
With a jolt, Kensi realizes that for a split second there, he absolutely did. He could have leaned forward just a little bit more and kissed her and she would not have fought him at all. That is not good. Not good at all.
"You think so?" she asks finally. Deeks smiles.
"I think I still do," he states, his hands resting on her hips. She notices but says nothing.
"And why is that?" she asks.
"Because you're straddling me and seemingly enjoying it," he responds, his grin widening. At that, Kensi swings her leg and plops down beside him, turning away, a smug smile set on her face.
"How are your chances now?" she asks, closing her eyes. For several minutes, she hears no reply, just the sound of Deeks shifting over and turning off the lights, leaving them in total darkness. Kensi begins to drift off into sleep, feeling quite victorious when Deeks' voice breaks through the haze of sleep.
"Well, I've already got you in bed, so who knows?"
Oh, that Deeks. Review review review! And see you all next time! :D
-Gab
